What the crap is a tisket, anyway? Or, for that matter, a tasket? You know what, it doesn’t really matter. I’m’a just make it up. And I’m’a write about it. And the thing I write is going to be called “The Great Tisket; or, An Adventure in Tasket”. AND IT…﻿

The nations involved in World War I mobilized their men by equating patriotism with military service. Many women took this idea to heart in a way their governments had never intended: instead of engaging in socially acceptabl...

Mr. +Richard Jensen has been moved out of ICU and has had most of his drainage tubes removed. Because he’s a rock star. Don't know about visitors yet. Probably not until he's moved to the F ward, but I'll let you know.﻿

I wanted to write to you, to tell you that I’m trying really hard to be positive right now. That I’m trying really hard to think about the things that can go right instead of the things that have gone wrong. I wanted to write and tell you about my friend…﻿

I kick REALLY hard, but I will knock the ciggie away and shake him down for the rest of the pack if you want.﻿

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I like pina coladas. And walks in the rain. Actually, I'm not really fond of pina coladas. And I prefer the sun. Header image used with permission, courtesy of Svetlana Sewell: http://svetlana-sewell.artistwebsites.com/index.html Deviant Art account http://ssdema.deviantart.com/gallery/

Introduction

What really bothers me about these 'introductory' fields in social networks is that they in no way represent the truly awkward aspects of actually being introduced to someone, or of introducing yourself. So if you could just picture me smiling nervously (I know you might not actually know what I look like; make up the best mental image you can of someone nearing their forties, with a fairly sedentary lifestyle, who wears spectacles and has a bit of a cleft chin) and laughing too loud, that would be grand.

You might want to throw in the obligatory shuffling from foot to foot, and the self-conscious admission that yes, being a writer is cool, and no, I've not published a book yet, but yes, I've been published, and yes, I *am* that sort of editor - the kind who corrects restaurant menus, and no, I haven't a dog, but I have a stupid cat, and yes, I have children (two; they're boys), and that I live in Happy Hollow in the Qu'Appelle Valley in Saskatchewan, and that I work with book publishers.

And then, when there's nothing left to seem interesting enough to talk about, pretend I've just asked you how you are and what you do and whether you have a family and stupid cats. Then, there would be the first Awkward Silence of our acquaintance.